Cigarette dispenser



Aug. 20,1963 F. RUSSELL CIGARETTE DISPENSER Filed Feb. 8. 1960 INVENTOR.GEORGE F. RUSSELL 4 rill/Ill; I!

mmil h h 3,101,157 CIGARETTE DISPENSER George F. Russell, 13144 HustonSt,

Sherman Oaks, Calif. Filed Feb. 8, 1960, Ser- No. 7,437 9 Claims. (Cl.221-227) This invention relates to a cigarette dispenser and moreparticularly to such a device of novel design having very thin,economically made and assembled ejecting means contained therein.

It is an object of this invention to provide a very thin cigarettedispenser which may contain up to about fifteen cigarettes. and dispenseone of them at the pleasure of the user upon application of digitalpressure to an ejector member over a relatively short distance. Anotherobject is to provide a simple, easily constructed cigarette dispenserhaving novel cigarette ejection means which are assembled within thedispenser case by simple assembly operations suitable for massproduction type manufacturing.

States Patent Generally stated, the invention consists of a caseprovided with a delivery port and. having space for a plurality ofadjacent parallel cigarettes. In its interior the case also includesmeans for urging the cigarettes as a group toward the delivery port,an-ejector for moving a cigarette partially through the port and verythin ejector actuating means contained between the rear wall of the caseand a divider wall, the divider wall and front wall confining thecigarettes within the case.

- The invention also consists of forming raised and recessed areas inthe case wall near which a divider wall is placed, the raised andrecessed areas providing various bearing surfaces and confining cavitieswhich cooperate with the ejector, ejector actuating means and cigaretteurging means to provide a device of this character of unusual economy ofmanufacture andassembly.

The invention further consists of placing a rod spring within aconfining cavity of such dimensions that the spring is forced toinvolute in a particular manner during operation.

Further objects and advantages will be seen as an exemplary embodimentof cigarette dispenser according to the invention is hereafter morefully described and clamed, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cigarette dispenser ac- I cording tothe invention in an open position;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the dispenser of FIG. 1, the cover beingshown only fragmentarily;

FIG. 3 is a frontal detail view of the dispenser with parts removed,showing the ejection mechanism in relaxed, inoperative position and thefollower or pusher in position corresponding to fully loaded conditionof the case;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 except showing the ejection mechanismin ejecting position and the follower or pusher in positioncorresponding to partially emptied condition of the case; and

FIG. 5 is a detail on an enlarged scale showing the follower and thechamfered block of the cover with the ice 2 case; and ejector actuatingmeans, indicated generally at 70. The case is preferably provided withsufiicient space therein so that when body portion 20 and cover 30 areclosed upon each other, a plurality of cigarettes 80 may be containedwithin the case in a generally vertical, adjaoent, parallel andlongitudinally disposed array. Cigarettes 80 are preferably constantlyyieldably urged rightwardly as seen in FIG. 1, toward one end of thecase. At that end they may be individually ejected through a deliveryport 14, as shown by the illustrated position of end cigarette 82in FIG.1, by the cooperation of the ejecton as indicated generally at 60, andthe ejector actuating means, indicated generally at 70. Delivery port 14is formed in the top of the case at one end by cutting out parts of theperipheral flanges 22 and-32, as shown in FIGS. .1 and 2'.

As best seenin the exploded view of FIG. 2, the body portion 20,including a rear wall 21 and peripheral flange 22, and the cover 30,including front wall 31 and peripheral flange 32, are connected by ahinge 12 which may be spring loaded to maintain the case in a normallyclosed position without the use of latch or locking mechanisms. Rearwall 21 may be provided with preferably integrally formed recessed areas23 and 24 and raised areas 25 and 26, as shown in FIG. 2. I

Divider wall partitions 40' and 41, preferably of thin generally flatconstruction, are placed in close generally parallel relationship torear wall 21. Between the partitions extends a horizontal slot 42adapted to slidably re,- ceive the cigarette urging means, and avertical slot 4 4 in partition 41 slidably receives the ejector 60.Vertical slot 44 is preferably disposed in vertical alignment beneathdelivery port 14. v

When divider wall means 40 and 41 are placed in close generally parallelrelationship with rear wall 21, either contacting raised areas 25 and 26or being in close proximity thereto, cavities are formed therebemeenwhere the recesses 23 and 24 are located. As will become more readilyapparent subsequently, the cavity formed by recess 23 is adapted. toreceive a portion of the cigarette urging means, while the cavity formedby recess 24 is adapted to receive substantially all of the ejector 60and the ejector actuating means, indicated generally at 70'.

Follower means indicated generally at are provided for yieldably urgingthe group of cigarettes 80 right- Wardly and thus to position the endcigarette 83 in alignment with the delivery port 14 for ejection out ofthe case. In the preferred exemplary embodiment, these follower ca-mmedupwardly out of the notch by the closure means include a follower sleeve51 carried by a slide block 52 which slides within horizontal slot 42,the slide block 52 having slide channels 53 and 54 to slidably contactthe edges of the slot 42. A notch 43 is provided at one end of the slot42 opposite the end near the de livery port 14 and is offset from theslot axis to partially receive block 52 and thereby to constrain thefollower 50 in a locked, retracted position while loading the cigarettes8t) into the case. A chamfered block 16 having an inclined top surface17 may be provided on the inside of the flange 32 of cover 30 to raisethe follower 5t up out of the notch 43 by cammingly contacting sleeve 51as shown in FIG. 5 when the cover 30 is closed upon the body 20.Follower 50 is thereby released from its locked position to an activecocked position. A thin rod spring 55 urges the follower sleeve 51against the cigarettes toward the end of the case where the deliveryport 14 is positioned. Rod spring 55 is attached at one end to a nub 18protruding from the rear wall 21 and is connected at its other end tothe slide block 52 by suitable means such as out-turned end 56 receivedin hole 57 formed in block 52. Rod spring 55 desirably has an unbentlength considerably greater than the length of recess 23 between the nub18 and the point to which Patented Aug. 20, 1963 3 follower Ell may befully extended, as shown in FIG. 4. Rod spring 55, therefore, is forcedin the FIG. 4 position of follower 519 ,to form the general shape of ahorizontally disposed block letter S. The rear wall 21, divider walls 40and 41 and raised area 26 cooperate to constrain the rod spring 55within the recessed area 23. Recessed area 23 is shaped generally like ahorizontally disposed tear drop and is preferably of such size that whenthe follower St is moved from the fully extended position of FIG. 4 tothe cocked or loaded position of FIG. 3, rod spring 55 is forced toinvolute or loop upon itself assuming a shape generally corresponding toa script letter S, as shown in FIG. 3. In its effort to resume astraight unbent configuration, rod

. spring 55 applies a yieldable force against the follower 5% which inturn urges the cigarettes Sll in the desired direction toward thedelivery port 14.

When the end cigarette 82 is aligned below the delivery port 14 by theaforementioned means, it is engaged by an ejector 60. Ejector '61 ispositioned in a portion of the recess 24 being laterally constrained bythe raised area 26 and the body flange 22. Rear Wall '21 and the dividerwalls 40 and 41 provide constraint upon ejector 6t) in a directionperpendicular to the walls of the case. A platform 61 is provided on thelower end of the ejector do which extends through the vertical slot 44formed in the divider wall 41 to engage the lower end of the leadingcigarette 82. Recesses 27 may be formed in the lower flanges of body 29and cover 30* to receive the ejector platform 61 and 'thus to allow theplatform to be disposed lower than the bottom of end cigarette 82 as itis slidably urged thereon. The top end of the ejector -61 is providedwith an enlargement 62.

Ejector actuating means, indicated generally at 70, are associated withthe ejector en to move it vertically within the recess 24 from acigarette receiving position in which the lead cigarette 821s receivedupon the platform 61, as shown in- FIG. 3, to a cigarette deliveryposition, shown in FIG. 4, in which the lead cigarette 82 protrudesthrough the delivery port 14. The ejector actuating means in theexemplary embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, are substantiallycontained between the rear wall 21 and divider walls 40 and 41 within aportion of the recess 24. These means may consist in part of a lifterarm 71 having two ends 72 and 73 and an intermediate bearing portion 74.End 72 is preferably adapted to protrude out of the case through a slot28 in the top portion of the body flange 22 and is provided With a pushbutton 75. The other end 73 of the lifter arm 71 is provided with acrescent shaped portion 76 having a concave recess for engaging withcoplanar enlargement 62 and thus moving the ejector 60.

Preferably, the intermediate bearing portion 74 is positioned upon thelifter arm 71 near the end 72 to provide a greater relative movement ofend 72 than of end 73 when the lifter arm 71 is pivoted. A relativelyshort movement of button 75, upon the application of digital pressurethereon, will thereby result in a movement of ejector 60 over a greaterdistance moving an end cigarette 82 up through delivery port 14 asdesired. Lifter arm 71 is constrained from undue movement in a directionperpendicular to the sides of the case by the rear wall 21 and thedivider walls '41) and 41 which are in close proximity to and parallelto each other.

Bearing means are provided which pivotally support the lifter arm 71within the case for pivotal movement about a single axis. These means,in the preferred exemplary embodiment, may consist of a fulcrum element90 having an upwardly facing convex bearing surface and which isintegrally formed in the rear wall 21 as a portion of the raised area104 to be later described further. Intermediate bearing portion 74 oflifter arm 71 preferably has a downwardly facing concave bearing surface77 on its bottom surface which rides upon the generally convex surf-aceof the fulcrum element 90.

Lifter arm 71, therefore, turns about a single axis within the case, thelocation of which is determined by the shape of the bearing surface 90.An additional bearing surface may be provided to-.-give added stabilityto the pivotal'rnovement of the lifter arm 71. This additional bearingsurface may be obtained in the exemplary em bodiment by the provision ofan upwardly facing convex surface '78 upon the intermediate bearingelement 74 and a concave surface-d journal element 92 integrally formedin the rear wall 21. Journal element 92 may beformed as part of theraised area 25 and is positioned upon the rear wall 21 vertically abovethe fulcrum element and spaced therefrom by the width of the bearingele-. ment 74. Lifter arm 71, therefore, may be constrained between thefulcrum element 99 and the journal element 92 in a vertical directionfor pivotal movement about a single axis in a very stable manner.

Means for biasing the lifter arm 71 against ejecting movementare-provided to'cause the lifter arm 71 to automatically return to acigarette-receiving position, as shown in FIG. 3, after being moved to adelivery position, as shown in FIG. 4, by digital pressure having beenapplied to the push button 75. As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, these means mayconsist of a rod or wire spring 1'90 having one end attached to the rearwall 21 by means of a groove 162 formed in the raised area 25. The otherend of the spring 1136} may be adapted to y-ieldably urge or bias thelifter arm 71 into a cigarette-receiving position, as shown in FIG. 3.Lifter arm 71 is preferably slid-ably abuttingly engaged by the spring190 near the end 73 upon which the interengaging means 76 is provided.Spring is held within the slot or groove 192 by the presence of thedivider wall 40 which, together with the rear Wall 21, prevents unduemovement of the spring 1130 in a direction perpendicular to the sides ofthe case.

A stop portion 104 may :be provided as part of the raised area whichincludes raised fulcrum 90 and being integral with the rear wall 21; thelifter arm 71 may abut stop 104 under the urging of the spring 100.

It can therefore be seen that the cigarette dispenser made according tothe invention may be easily and simply constructed. Rear wall 21 may bestamped or cast in one piece of metal or plastic material providingraised and recessed areas as previously described. The ejector 60,spring 1%, lifter arm 71 and spring 55 arethen easily placed in theirrespective locations within the recesses 23 and 24 on the rear wall 21.The divider walls 40 and 41 having the follower 50 mounted thereon andconnected to rod spring 55 may be then pressed into the body portion 20into close proximity to the rear wall 21. With the further addition ofthe hinged cover 30, the cigarette case is substantially assembled, theentire operation being very simple and adaptable for fast productionmethods. The finished cigarette dispenser, so constructed, is very thinand need be only sightly thicker than the diameter of one of thecigarettes 80.

It should be understood that the embodiment described herein is merelyexemplary and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention asdefined by the following appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a cigarette case adapted tohold a plurality of cigarettes, andhaving means for yieldably urging said cigarettes toward one end of saidcase, a top above said cigarettes having a cigarette delivery portpositioned therein at said one end, an ejector movable to eject acigarette through said port, and an elongated ejector actuating means tocontrol movement of said ejector, the provision of: a rear Wall and thindivider wall means placed in close proximity to said rear wall whereinsaid rear wall is provided with raised and recessed areas form-edintegrally therein to provide cavities between said rear wall anddivider wall means to contain substantial portions of the ejector mdelongated ejector actuating means, one of said cavities looselyreceiving the elongated ejector actuating means, one of said raisedareas providing a bearing surface against which the actuating means isrockably fulcrumed, said thin divider wall means including two coplanardivider walls having parallel edges spaced apart to form therebetween ahorizontal slot substantially traversing the length of said thin dividerwall means; said means for yieldably urging cigarettes toward one end ofsaid case comprising a follower slidably mounted in said horizontal slotfor lateral movement relative to said case to advance said cigarettestoward said one end; and a thin rod spring positioned within one of saidcavities between said rear wall and divider wall means and having oneend attached to said follower, the other end attached to said rear wall,said spring being of such length that it forms a generally horizontalblock S-shape when the follower is in a fully extended position andinvolu-tes upon itself within the said one cavity forming the generalshape of a script 8 when the follower is moved to a cocked position.

2. The invention as stated in claim 1 including a second thin rod springpositioned within the ejector actuating means cavity for resilientlybiasing the ejector actuating means against ejecting movement.

3. The invention as stated in claim 1 wherein said ejector and ejectoractuating means include thin flat coplanar interengaging elementsmovably received in the ejector actuating means cavity for transmittingtherebetween mo tion in their common plane.

4. The invention as stated in claim 3 wherein one of said elementsconstitutes a crescent shaped portion provid ing a concave recess forreceiving therein a portion of the other said element.

5. The invention as stated in claim 1 wherein said case includes a bodyportion provided with said rear wall and said divider wall means andfurther including a cover hingedly connected to the body for swingingmovement between open and closed positions and provided with a frontwall which, in closed position, is parallel to the divider wall meansand spaced therefrom to receive therebetween a cigarette with its axisparallel thereto.

'6. The invention as stated in claim 5 wherein the divider wall means,adjacent the other end of said case, is provided with an enlargedlocking notch communicating with said slot and offset from the axisthereof for at least partially receiving said follower and retaining thefollower in retracted cigarette-loading position.

-7. The invention as stated in claim 6 wherein said cover includes meansfor moving the fol-lower out of the 6 locking notch into the slot whenthe cover is moved into closed position.

8. In a cigarette case adapted to hold a plurality of cig arettes andhaving means for yieldably urging said cigarettes toward one end of saidcase, a top wall above said cigarettes having a cigarette delivery portpositioned therein at said one end, said case including a body portionhaving a rear wall and thin divider wall means parallel thereto and inclose proximity therewith and a cover hingedly connected to the body forswinging movement between open and closed positions and includingafrontwall which,

in closed position, is parallel to the divider wall means and spacedtherefrom to receive therebetween a cigarette with its axis parallelthereto, the provision of: an ejector movable to eject a cigarettethrough said port and ejector actuating means to control movement of theejector, said ejector and ejector actuating means including thin flatcoplanar interengaging elements received between the rear wall anddivider wall means and movable parallel thereto for transmitting motionin the common plane of the elements, said rear well being provided withraised portions contactingthe divider 'wall means and defining cavitiestherebetween, and said ejector actuating means including an elongatedthin arm movably received in one of said cavities for movement parallelto said rear wall, the raised portions including a fulcrum elementspaced from said interengaging elements against which the arm rockablyabuts.

9. The invention as stated in claim 8 including resilient means in saidone cavity biasing the actuating means against ejecting movement. 1

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS600,552 Parker May 15, 1898 1,108,018 Stiglich et a1. Aug. 18, 19141,168,437 Stone Jan. 18, 1916 1,278,879 Denemark Sept. 17, 19181,575,573 Gregory Mar. 2, 1926 2,462,231 Stein Feb. 22, 1949 2,519,020Breitwiesser Aug. 15, 1950 2,753,025 Reis July 2, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS215,507 Great Britain May 15, 1924 556,444 Canada Apr. 22, 1958 807,323Great Britain Jan. \14, 1959

1. IN A CIGARETTE CASE ADAPTED TO HOLD A PLURALITY OF CIGARETTES ANDHAVING MEANS FOR YIELDABLY URGING SAID CIGARETTES TOWARD ONE END OF SAIDCASE, A TOP ABOVE SAID CIGARETTES HAVING A CIGARETTES DELIVERY PORTPOSITIONED THEREIN AT SAID ONE END, AN EJECTOR MOVABLE TO EJECT ACIGARETTE THROUGH SAID PORT, AND AN ELONGATED EJECTOR ACTUATING MEANS TOCONTROL MOVEMENT OF SAID EJECTOR, THE PROVISION OF: A REAR WALL AND THINDIVIDER WALL MEANS PLACED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SAID REAR WALL WHEREINSAID REAR WALL IS PROVIDED WITH RAISED AND RECESSED AREAS FORMEDINTEGRALLY THEREIN TO PROVIDE CAVITIES BETWEEN SAID REAR WALL ANDDIVIDER WALL MEANS TO CONTAIN SUBSTANTIAL PORTIONS OF THE EJECTOR ANDELONGATED EJECTOR ACTUATING MEANS, ONE OF SAID CAVITIES LOOSELYRECEIVING THE ELONGATED EJECTOR ACTUATING MEANS, ONE OF SAID RAISEDAREAS PROVIDING A BEARING SURFACE AGAINST WHICH THE ACTUATING MEANS ISROCKABLY FULCRUMED, SAID THIN DIVIDER WALL MEANS INCLUDING TWO COPLANARDIVIDER WALLS HAVING PARALLEL EDGES SPACED APART TO FORM THEREBETWEEN AHORIZONTAL SLOT SUBSTANTIALLY TRAVERSING THE LENGTH OF SAID THIN DIVIDERWALL MEANS; SAID MEANS FOR YIELDABLY URGING CIGARETTES TOWARD ONE END OFSAID CASE COMPRISING A FOLLOWER SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID HORIZONTAL SLOTFOR LATERAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID CASE TO